Optical Network Termination Systems and Methods

ABSTRACT

Disclosed embodiments include optical network termination systems, network interface devices, and methods of terminating an optical telecommunications network. Telecommunications signals are conveyed over an optical fiber between an external telecommunications network and a processor at or near a customer premises. Some or all of the telecommunications signals are conveyed between the processor and devices within the premises over at least two internal transport media. One internal transport media is an electrically conductive internal transport medium. Another internal transport media is a wireless signal provided by a wireless access point. Power to the wireless access point is provided from the customer premises over the electrically conductive internal transport medium.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/965,830, filed Aug. 13, 2013 by Bruce A. Phillips et al. andentitled, “Multiple-Enclosure Residential Gateways” (attorney docket no.020370-012400US), which is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/356,338 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,537,814), filed Jan. 31, 2003by Bruce A. Phillips et al. and entitled, “Configurable NetworkInterface Device and Systems and Methods for Its Use” (attorney docketno. 020366-090300US), both of which are hereby incorporated by referencein their entirety for all matters disclosed therein.

COPYRIGHT STATEMENT

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialthat is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and TrademarkOffice patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrightrights whatsoever.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates, in general, to optical networktermination systems and methods and more particularly, to devices andtechniques that enable an optical network terminal (ONT) with adistributed antenna to be provided and powered at a customer locationwith minimal cabling and minimal installation activity.

BACKGROUND

Fiber optic technologies may be used to transmit signals of varioustypes from an external telecommunications network to a customerpremises. The signals which can be multiplexed and transmitted over anoptical fiber may include, but are not limited to, voice telephonesignals, television/video signals or data. Unlike many othertechnologies, an optical fiber does not provide power for signaldemultiplexing, signal conversion or signal transmission to customerequipment. In addition, an optical signal is not typically suitable fordirect connection to customer equipment. Therefore, an optical networkterminal (ONT) is used to terminate the fiber optic line at the premisesand demultiplex the optical signal into its component parts forsubsequent transmission into the premises over many types of non-opticaltransmission medium. Therefore, an ONT may have as an input a singleoptical fiber in communication with various external network elements.The output from the ONT may include one or more unshielded twisted pairsof copper wire or Category 3 cabling for the transmission of voicetelephone services or data, one or more Category 5, 5e, 6, 6e, 7 oranother multi-wire cabling outputs for the transmission of data, voiceor video and/or one or more coaxial cable outputs for the transmissionof data, voice or video signals to equipment within the customerpremises.

In many instances, an ONT is included within a network interface device(NID). A NID is typically implemented as a relatively smallweather-proof box mounted on or near the outside of a building, whichserves as the demarcation point between a service provider's network anda customer's in-premises equipment.

With respect to a NID including an ONT however, the device must deriveits power from the customer premises electrical supply in some fashion.Thus, the services of an electrician and/or the installation ofadditional power cabling becomes necessary to provide power to the ONT.Furthermore, many homes built in the past include only in-wallunshielded twisted pair phone lines or Category 3 twisted-pair cablingwhich terminates in a conventional telephone NID and provides only forbasic telephone services. These somewhat older homes, do not havepreinstalled in-wall Category 5, 6 or 7 data cabling and/or in-wallcoaxial cable networks. Accordingly, retrofitting such homes with an ONTdesigned to provide broadband data services or high quality videorequires substantial cable installation between the ONT and interior ofthe customer premises. Re-cabling a customer's premises can beexpensive, time consuming and intrusive.

Hence, there is a need for solutions that can overcome the above andother technical hurdles to enable an ONT to be provided and powered at acustomer location with minimal cost, minimal intrusion and minimaladditional cabling.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Various embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods and apparatus forconveying telecommunications signals of any type between an externaltelecommunications network and a premises. Disclosed embodiments includeoptical network termination systems, network interface devices, andmethods of terminating an optical telecommunications network.Telecommunications signals are conveyed over an optical fiber between anexternal telecommunications network and a processor at or near acustomer premises. Some or all of the telecommunications signals areconveyed between the processor and devices within the premises over atleast two internal transport media. One internal transport media is anelectrically conductive internal transport medium. Another internaltransport media is a wireless signal provided by a wireless accesspoint. Power to the wireless access point is provided from the customerpremises over the electrically conductive internal transport medium.

The premises may be a customer building or collection of customerbuildings of any type including but not limited to one or more homes,businesses, offices buildings, schools, medical facilities or the like.Specific disclosed embodiments include, but are not limited to, opticalnetwork termination systems, network interface devices, and methods ofterminating an optical telecommunications network.

One embodiment is an optical network termination system providing forthe termination of an optical fiber in communication with an externaltelecommunications information network. The optical network terminationsystem includes a processor communicating telecommunications informationwith the external network over the optical fiber. The telecommunicationsinformation may be of any type suitable for transmission over an opticalfiber, including but not limited to, voice signals, data signals, videosignals or other information. The optical network termination systemalso includes two or more internal transport media in communication withthe processor. Each internal transport medium provides for thecommunication of some portion or all of the telecommunicationsinformation from the processor into the premises or from the premises tothe processor.

The two or more internal transport media include at least oneelectrically conductive internal transport medium which may beimplemented with unshielded twisted pair copper wiring, shielded twistedpair copper wiring, Category 3 cable, Category 5 cable, Category 5ecable, Category 6 cable, Token Ring™ cable and coaxial cable or similarelectrically conductive cabling. At least one other internal transportmedium is wireless and therefore is implemented with a wireless accesspoint in communication with the processor. In use, the electricallyconductive internal transport medium may convey some portion or theentire telecommunications signal to or from the premises. Similarly, inuse, the wireless internal transport medium may wirelessly convey someportion or the entire telecommunications signal to or from the premises.

Electrical power cannot be transmitted over an optical fiber. Thewireless access point of the wireless internal transport medium requireselectric power to operate. The embodiments disclosed herein provideelectric power to at least the wireless access point over theelectrically conductive internal transport medium. Thus, power to thewireless access point is provided from within the premises, in certaininstances through a power supply powered by an AC power outlet locatedwithin the premises. In some embodiments the wireless access point, theprocessor and/or other electronics associated with the optical networktermination are each powered over the electrically conductive internaltransport medium.

In certain embodiments, the processor and wireless access point of theoptical network termination system are housed in a single housing whichmay be located on an exterior surface of the premises, such as anexterior wall. Thus, the processor and wireless access point componentsof the optical network termination system may be installed or servicedwithout access to the inside of the premises.

An alternative embodiment includes a network interface device having ahousing. A processor and interfaces for both an electrically conductiveinternal transport medium and a wireless access point in communicationwith the processor are located within the housing. An external transportmedium, in particular an optical fiber in communication with an externaltelecommunications network, may convey telecommunications information toor from the network interface device. The interfaces of the networkinterface device communicate with at least two internal transport mediaincluding an electrically conductive internal transport medium and awireless signal. The two or more internal transport media may conveytelecommunications information between the network interface device andthe premises through the electrically conductive internal transportmedium interface and wireless access point respectively.

In the network interface device embodiments disclosed herein, electricpower is provided to at least the wireless access point through theelectrically conductive internal transport medium interface. Thus, powerto the wireless access point is provided from within the premises, incertain instances through a power supply powered by an AC power outletlocated within the premises. In some network interface deviceembodiments both the wireless access point and the processor are poweredover the electrically conductive internal transport medium.

An alternative embodiment includes a method of terminating an opticalnetwork. Method embodiments feature the step of providing or accessingan optical fiber in communication with an external telecommunicationsinformation network. Telecommunications information transmitted over theoptical fiber between the network and a processor. Within the processor,the telecommunications information is processed as required forcommunication with devices located within a premises over various typesof internal transport media. The method further includes conveying afirst subset of telecommunications information from the processor intothe premises over an electrically conductive internal transport mediumand transmitting a second subset of telecommunications information fromthe processor into the premises over a wireless internal transportmedium. The first and second subsets of telecommunications informationcan comprise the entirety or a portion of the telecommunicationsinformation communicated with the external telecommunicationsinformation network over the optical fiber. The first and second subsetsof telecommunications information may have the same or differentcontent.

Method embodiments further include powering the wireless access pointwith the electric power transmitted from within the premises over theelectrically conductive internal transport medium.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the nature and advantages of particularembodiments may be realized by reference to the remaining portions ofthe specification and the drawings, in which like reference numerals areused to refer to similar components. In some instances, a sub-label isassociated with a reference numeral to denote one of multiple similarcomponents. When reference is made to a reference numeral withoutspecification to an existing sub-label, it is intended to refer to allsuch multiple similar components.

FIGS. 1A-1G illustrate systems used for demarcation devices according tocertain disclosed embodiments.

FIG. 2A illustrates a network interface device according to certaindisclosed embodiments.

FIG. 2B is a cross sectional drawing further illustrating the networkinterface device of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing illustrating a processing system that canbe included in a network interface device.

FIG. 4 illustrates a distributed network interface device.

FIG. 5 illustrates a network interface device providing a variety oftelecommunications services to a customer premises.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart representation of a disclosed method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS

Certain embodiments of the present invention are directed to demarcationdevices that can be used to provide telecommunication services, as wellas to methods and systems of using such devices. A demarcation devicecan be any device capable of serving as an interface between a customerpremises and a telecommunication service provider's network. Suchdevices can include, merely by way of example, set top boxes (which canbe used, inter alia, as an interface between a customer's videoappliance and a provider's video network), broadband modems (includingxDSL modems, cable modems and wireless modems, each of which can be usedto provide video and/or data to a customer premises), integrated accessdevices (which can, for instance, translate between Voice over IP(“VoIP”) signals and traditional telephone signals, thus allowingtraditional telephones to connect to a VoIP network), devices compatiblewith the session initiation protocol (“SIP”) familiar to those skilledin the art, and/or the like. One particular demarcation device is anetwork interface device (“NID”), described in detail below. In certainaspects, demarcation devices can be used to separate receivedtelecommunication information into discrete sets, and optionally toprocess certain of those sets independently from other sets and/ortransmit different sets to different locations, perhaps through the useof different interfaces.

As used herein, references to the term “telecommunication information”should be interpreted to include any information that can be transmittedor carried by a telecommunication service provider's network (e.g., thePublic Switched Telephone Network or “PSTN”) or by any othertelecommunication network, including but not limited to the Internet.Such information includes, for example, voice signals (e.g., Plain OldTelephone Service or “POTS,” as the term is known to those skilled inthe art), audio and video signals (encoded in any standard and/orproprietary, digital and/or analog format now known or hereafterdeveloped, using any of a variety of means known to those skilled in theart, such as HDTV, NTSC and PAL formatting, as well as, for example, anyof the MPEG digital encoding and/or compression algorithms), and data.Such data can be formatted according any of a variety of protocolsfamiliar in the art, including in particular any of the protocols knownin the art as part of the TCP/IP suite, in particular the InternetProtocol (“IP”). Data can also include infrastructural protocols,including, for instance, routing protocols and protocols necessary toimplement advanced networking schemes known to those skilled in the art,such as multiprotocol label switching (“MPLS”), Ethernet in the firstmile (“EFM”), to name but two

In this document, the term “telecommunication service provider” can meanany entity that provides telecommunication service to a customer'spremises, including, merely by way of example, incumbent local exchangecarriers, competitive local exchange carriers, cable televisioncarriers, and satellite providers, to name a few. In contrast, the term“telecommunication information provider,” means any entity that iscapable of serving as a source of telecommunication information. In manycases, a particular entity may be considered both a telecommunicationservice provider and a telecommunication information provider, forinstance, when a local exchange carrier provides Internet service to acustomer, as well as the external transport medium attached to thatcustomer's premises. In other cases, the two may be separate entities.For instance, according to certain embodiments of the invention, a cabletelevision provider could contract with a local exchange carrier toprovide broadcast television signals to a customer premises using thelocal exchange carrier's network and/or an external transport mediumoperated by the local exchange carrier.

The term “telecommunication information set” is used to describe adiscrete subset of the telecommunication information transmitted acrossa particular transport medium and/or received by a demarcation device.Generally, the telecommunication information that is classified part ofa particular information set shares a common characteristic. Merely byway of example, an information set can comprise telecommunicationinformation of a particular type (e.g., voice, IP data, encoded video,and such), information associated with a particular application (e.g.,information assigned to a specific IP port, as is known in the art, orinformation used by a particular software and/or hardware program),information addressed to or received from a particular device or networksegment, information received within a particular reception window, andthe like.

In certain embodiments, demarcation devices can support the one-way flowof telecommunication information, as for example, in the case of asimple set top box, which can receive data representing a video signal,decode that data, and transmit a video signal to an attached television.In other embodiments, however, demarcation devices can supportbidirectional flow of telecommunication information. For example, anxDSL modem allows the transmission of data both to and from a customerpremises. In still other embodiments, a demarcation device can beconfigured to support both unidirectional and bidirectional informationflows simultaneously, depending on the type of telecommunicationinformation transmitted or the source of the information.

In one important aspect, demarcation devices can function to isolate thetelecommunication service provider's network from the network at thecustomer premises. As described in detail below, the service provider'snetwork can be thought of as an “external transport medium,” while thecustomer's network can be termed an “internal transport medium.” Bothexternal transport media and internal transport media are types of“transport media,” a term used in this document to describe any cable,wire or other medium capable of carrying telecommunication information,including, but not limited to, twisted pair copper wiring (shielded orunshielded, including, for example, unshielded cables complying withindustry-standard categories 3, 5, 5 e and 6 and shielded cablescommonly known as Token Ring™ cables, to name a few), optical fiber(including both single-mode and multimode fiber, as well as doped fiber,wavelength-division multiplexed, coarse wavelength-division multiplexed,wide wavelength-division multiplexed, dense wavelength-division andultra-dense wavelength-division multiplexed fiber) and coaxial cable.

Other examples of transport media can also include universal serial bus(“USB”) cable, cable complying with the Institute of Electrical andElectronics Engineers' (“IEEE”) 1394 standard, as well as any mediumcapable of complying with the many local area networking standards knownin the art. Of course, a transport medium need not be a physical medium;it can also comprise any of a wide variety of wireless transmissions,including (but not limited to) infra-red transmissions, radio frequency(“RF”) transmissions, and transmissions complying with standardsdeveloped by any of the IEEE's working groups governing wirelesscommunication (e.g., the 802.11, 802.15, 802.16 and 802.20 workinggroups). Similarly, a transport medium can comprise other wirelesstechnologies, such as point-to-point microwave, including localmultipoint distribution system (“LMDS”), microwave multipointdistribution system and/or multipoint multi-channel distribution system(collectively, “MMDS”) transmissions, and satellite, cellular/PCS,and/or ultra wideband transmissions, to name a few.

In certain embodiments, a demarcation device can act as an activedemarcation point, serving to isolate the external transport medium fromthe internal transport medium (perhaps via an isolation device,discussed below), such that operational changes in one network do notaffect the other network. “Operational changes” can include any changesin the structure, topology, format, protocol, bandwidth, media and/orother operational parameters of a network. This feature can provide manybenefits; for instance, the demarcation device can serve as a disclosedinterface between a customer premises and a provider's network, allowingthe provider to implement changes in its network without disrupting theservice provided to the customer.

Likewise, the isolation of the internal transport medium from theexternal transport medium can allow for any variety of customer premiseequipment (“CPE”) (which can be any device that sends, receives orotherwise utilizes telecommunication information) to be used at thecustomer premises without fear that the appliance might be incompatiblewith a particular telecommunication service provider's standards.Moreover, a demarcation device might serve to couple a plurality ofexternal and/or internal transport media, allowing interoperation amongthem all, and provide the same isolation features among all of thesemedia.

In this way, certain aspects of the demarcation devices can allow forsales of a wide variety of CPE on a consumer electronics model, insteadof the proprietary model necessitated by many of today'stelecommunication networks, where, for example, differingimplementations of xDSL among providers virtually force consumers topurchase modems supplied or approved by a particular provider to ensurecompatibility between the modem and the provider's xDSL implementation.By isolating the topologies of the external and internal transportmedia, embodiments of the present invention can create a disclosedinterface between the provider's network and the customer's network,allowing much greater flexibility in both the provider's networkingoptions and the customer's choice of telecommunication appliances. Thoseskilled in the art will recognize that these and many other benefits canflow from embodiments of the invention.

In accordance with other embodiments, the isolation abilities ofdemarcation devices also can allow a demarcation device to serve as aninsulator between different transport media coupled to the internal andexternal transport media in order, for instance to prevent unwantedtelecommunication information from one network from entering the othernetwork. For instance, a demarcation device in accordance withparticular embodiments can serve to prevent propagation of certaintelecommunication information from an internal network (includingparticular signals or frequencies) into one or more external transportmedia, preventing interference in the internal transport medium frominterfering with the telecommunication service provider's network. Insimilar fashion, demarcation devices can prevent the contamination ofthe internal transport medium with unwanted information from theexternal medium, interference between two or more external transportmedia coupled to a demarcation device, and unwanted interference orcrosstalk between multiple internal media.

The ability of a demarcation device to isolate the internal transportmedium from the external transport medium also allows demarcationdevices in some embodiments to be used to provide enhanced security forthe customer and/or control customer access to certain features orservices. For instance, those skilled in the art will recognize that ademarcation device can prevent unauthorized access (by atelecommunication service provider and/or a third party) to thecustomer's data network, or can screen or filter telecommunicationinformation entering or leaving the customer's premises, enablingfeatures like parental controls on incoming and outgoing information, aswell as the filtering of outgoing sensitive information (such as creditcard information and the like).

Further, according to certain embodiments, the demarcation device, asthe consolidation point for all telecommunication information enteringor leaving the customer premises, can provide a variety of enhancedfeatures to the entire premises, including things like calleridentification, premises-wide telephone, video and data distribution,content (e.g., video, audio or data) on demand, and the like. These andother features of the demarcation devices also allow for a variety ofnew and useful telecommunication applications to be provided tocustomers. Details about some exemplary applications are discussedbelow; given the disclosure herein, those skilled in the art canappreciate the wide variety of such applications that are possible usingvarious embodiments of the invention.

Certain embodiments of the invention provide a variety of systems forutilizing demarcation devices. Merely by way of example, FIGS. 1A-1Gillustrate several such exemplary systems. For instance, FIG. 1Aillustrates a system 100 for providing telecommunication services usinga demarcation device, in accordance with some embodiments of theinvention. System 100 includes a distribution point 104 in communicationwith a demarcation device 108 via external transport medium 112. In onesense, distribution point 104 can be considered the source oftelecommunication information transmitted to customer premises and therecipient of telecommunication information transmitted from customerpremises 116, although, as described below, distribution point 104 oftenwill be neither the ultimate source nor the ultimate recipient oftelecommunication information. In certain embodiments, distributionpoint 104 can be a telecommunication service provider's local office; inother embodiments, distribution point 104 can be another network elementin the service provider's network, for instance, a remote terminationcabinet and/or a digital subscriber line access multiplier (“DSLAM”). Infact, distribution point 104 can be any facility or equipment operatedby a telecommunication service provider that is capable of transmittingtelecommunication information to, and/or receiving telecommunicationinformation from, a customer premises.

In general, distribution points can be classified, inter alia, asdiscrete distribution points or complex distribution points. Withrespect to a particular information set, a discrete distribution pointoften transmits only the necessary or desired information to the NID. Incontrast, a complex distribution point can transmit the entireinformation set to the NID. The contrast may be illustrated with regardto video distribution: A discrete distribution point may perform channelswitching (at the request of the demarcation device), encoding andsending only the desired channel information to the demarcation device.In contrast, a complex distribution point might rely upon thedemarcation device to perform all channel switching. Those skilled inthe art will appreciate that each scheme presents relative advantagesand disadvantages.

Distribution point 104 can be capable of transmitting and/or receivingany type of telecommunication information to/from demarcation device108, and such telecommunication information can be organized into aplurality of telecommunication information sets, as necessary. For easeof description, FIG. 1A does not show any additional sources orrecipients of telecommunication information in communication withdistribution point 104, but, those skilled in the art will recognizethat, in many embodiments, distribution point 104 can be coupled tomultiple customer premises (perhaps via a demarcation device at eachcustomer premises) and often is neither the ultimate source nor theultimate recipient of telecommunication information. Instead,distribution point 104 often can serve as the intermediary between oneor more customer premises (e.g., 116) and one or more largertelecommunication networks and/or telecommunication informationproviders, which, as discussed above, can include cable televisionnetworks, telephone networks, data networks, and the like. Further, manysuch networks (as well as, in some embodiments, distribution point 104)can be coupled to the Internet, so that distribution point 104 can serveas a gateway between customer premises and any source and/or recipientof telecommunication information that has a connection to the Internet.The interconnection of telecommunication networks is well known in theart and need not be discussed here, other than to note that distributionpoint 104 can be configured to transmit telecommunication information to(and receive telecommunication information from) virtually any source orrecipient of telecommunication information, through either direct orindirect (e.g., through the Internet) communication. Merely by way ofexample, a distribution point can transmit video signals received from atelevision programming provider to customer premises equipment, asdescribed in the applications referenced above. In other embodiments,distribution point 104 can be in communication with one or more othercustomer locations, allowing for private virtual circuits betweencustomer premises 116 and those locations.

In system 100, demarcation device 108 can serve as the interface betweenexternal transport medium 112 and customer premises 116. As conceptuallyillustrated in FIG. 1A, demarcation device 108 can be attached to anexternal wall of customer premises 116, which provides many advantages.For instance, if the telecommunication service provider desires toupgrade or otherwise change its network (including, perhaps, modifyingexternal transport medium 112), a technician can perform any necessarychanges at demarcation device 108 without entering the customerpremises. Coupled with the ability of some demarcation devices toisolate the telecommunication service provider's network from thecustomer's premises, this can allow the telecommunication serviceprovider to effect substantial changes in it network without impactingor inconveniencing the customer in any respect. This could, for example,allow the telecommunication service provider to upgrade externaltransmission medium 112 from a copper twisted pair to optical fiber,without requiring any topological changes inside the customer premises.Of course, demarcation device 108 also may be located at a variety ofother locations, for example, within customer premises 116 or at afacility operated by the telecommunication service provider (e.g.,distribution point 104). As discussed in detail below, a demarcationdevice may also be divided, with different portions situated atdifferent locations, according to the requirements of theimplementation.

Demarcation device 108 can communicate with CPE 120 (which can belocated inside customer premises 116) through internal transport medium124, which can comprise any of the media discussed above. In particular,internal transport medium 124 can comprise the existing telephone wiringin customer premises 116 and, in some embodiments, is capable ofcarrying voice, data and video information, as well, perhaps, as othertypes of telecommunication information, using any of a variety ofmultiplexing schemes. For instance, as described in Edward H. Frank andJack Holloway, “Connecting the Home with a Phone Line Network Chip Set,”IEEE Micro (IEEE, March-April 2000), which is incorporated herein byreference, the Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (“HPNA”) standardsallow for simultaneous transmission of both voice information andEthernet frames across twisted-pair copper telephone wiring.

Thus, telecommunication information received by distribution point 104from any source (for instance, those discussed above) can be transmittedfrom distribution point 104 through external transport medium 112 todemarcation device 108. Demarcation device 108 can then transmit theinformation through internal transport medium 124 to CPE 120. Likewise,telecommunication information can be transmitted via the reverse path todistribution point 104, where it can, for instance, be transmitted to aninformation recipient, such as a service provider (for instance, torequest a pay-per-view movie or the like) or across the Internet to arecipient (such as in the case of an email message).

In certain embodiments, demarcation device 108 can receive configurationinformation, in some cases from a control point (e.g., 128), which, inthe illustrated embodiment, is associated with distribution point 104.In certain instances, control point 128 can be software and/or hardwareoperated by a telecommunication service provider for controlling certainfeatures of the operation of demarcation device 108. For instance,control point 128 can instruct demarcation device 108 to provide (orcease to provide) a particular telecommunication service (e.g., videodistribution) to customer premises 116, or to control how manyinformation sets and/or transport media demarcation device 108 shouldaccept at any given time. Control point 128 can also provide otherdirection to demarcation device 108, including, for instance,instructions to save or record a particular information set (e.g., datarepresenting a movie), such that the information set may quickly (and,in some cases), repeatedly be transmitted to customer premises 116,allowing the provision of voice, data, video, etc. on demand. Controlpoint 128 can further be used to test the availability, functioningand/or performance of demarcation device 108, and/or any of thetransport media attached thereto. Merely by way of example, controlpoint 128 can be used to perform a loop test, known to those skilled inthe art.

Often, it may be beneficial to allow the customer to provideconfiguration information to demarcation device 108. Thus, in certainembodiments, control point 128 can have a web interface, such that thecustomer (or any authorized person, such as an employee of thetelecommunication service provider or telecommunication informationprovider) may log on to the web interface and configure options fordemarcation device, perhaps resulting in configuration commands beingtransmitted from distribution point 104 to demarcation device 108. Inother embodiments, control point 128 can be a web interface todemarcation device 108 itself, allowing the customer (or, alternatively,a telecommunication service provider or telecommunication informationprovider) to configure demarcation device 108 directly. In still otherembodiments, control point 128 can communicate with demarcation devicethrough an application programming interface (“API”). Hence, in someaspects, control point 128 can interface with demarcation device 108through an API.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that, in some embodiments, anAPI can include a set of software, hardware or firmware routines orlibraries that may be invoked programmatically to configure or relayinformation to demarcation device 108. In that sense, then, controlpoint 128 can be understood to be a program running on a computer(perhaps located at distribution point 104 or customer premises 116,among other locations) that provides configuration information todemarcation device via using a software API. In other embodiments,however, an API can include a physical interface (perhaps adapted tocommunicate using any of the transport media discussed herein), that maybe accessed remotely and/or locally, for instance, by a servicetechnician.

Merely by way of example, a service technician could visit customerpremises 116, attach a laptop computer (or other configuration device)to demarcation device 108, and upload information to demarcation device108, including perhaps both configuration information and othertelecommunication information. In still other embodiments, demarcationdevice 108 can accept configuration information through other means,including merely by way of example, providing a web interface(especially in embodiments where demarcation device 108 is capable ofacting as a web server, as discussed below) and/or receiving aspecially-formatted electronic message, either of which could beconsidered a control point in such embodiments.

As described below, demarcation device 108 (and/or particular componentsthereof) can be addressable/and or programmable (e.g., through controlpoint 128). As such, demarcation device 108 can include a storagedevice, which can be any device known to those skilled in the art as onecapable of storing information (including, merely by way of example, anyof the memory and/or storage devices discussed below), for storingconfiguration information received from control point 128. As discussedbelow, the storage device can also store other telecommunicationinformation.

Configuration information can be any set of data or other informationthat can be interpreted by demarcation device 108 as operationalinstructions, including, but not limited to, commands to process certaininformation sets in certain ways (e.g., provide protocol conversion,allow transmission of the information set, deny transmission of theinformation set, direct transmission on a particular interface, and thelike), commands to provide (or cease providing) a particular service(e.g., to provide access to a pay per view movie or an additionaltelephone line). Thus, in certain aspects, a telecommunication serviceprovider can control the services provided to a customer in severalways. First, the provider can transmit a telecommunication informationset to a demarcation device only if the user of that device isauthorized to receive the service associated with that information set.Alternatively, the service provider could send one or more services to acustomer's demarcation device regardless of the customer's authorizationto use the services, and rely on the device itself to preventunauthorized access to those services.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain control methodsare more well-suited to certain services than to others. For instance,with respect to cable television services, the same set of informationmay be broadcast to many households, and the demarcation device iswell-suited to control access to those services, allowing for greaterefficiency in the providing of such services. In contrast, video ondemand services may be controlled at a distribution point (orelsewhere), such that a demarcation device will only receive video ondemand information if the customer already has requested (and beenauthorized to receive) that service, and the demarcation device thus maynot need to provide access control functions with respect to thatservice.

According to some embodiments, demarcation device 108 can implementeither of these access control schemes, or both in combination, as wellas others. Moreover, demarcation device 108 can, in some cases, beconfigured to support a plurality of schemes transparently, so thecustomer can, for instance, request a service from demarcation device108 (perhaps using one of the methods discussed above), and demarcationdevice can relay that request to the appropriate telecommunicationservice provider (and/or telecommunication information provider) ifnecessary, as well as reconfigure itself to allow access to thatservice, if necessary. Of course, demarcation device 108 also can beconfigured to take any necessary validating or authenticating action(such as notifying distribution point 104 and/or control point 128 thatthe service has been requested, and, optionally, receiving a returnconfirmation that the service has been authorized).

In accordance with other embodiments, configuration information sent todemarcation device 108 can include one or more commands to interfacewith and/or control a particular home fixture in a certain way. The term“home fixture” should be interpreted to mean any outlet, fixture, ordevice (including without limitation those that function electricallyand/or any CPE) that can be intelligently controlled. Home fixtures caninclude, merely by way of example, any device, outlet, or otherequipment that can be included in the “smart home” or “connected home”concepts familiar to those skilled in the art. For instance,configuration information could instruct demarcation device 108 to turnon and/or off certain lights, electrical outlets and/or equipment(perhaps via additional devices), and/or to arm, disarm or otherwisemonitor and/or configure a home security system. One skilled in the art,will recognize, moreover, that although termed “home fixtures” for easeof description, home fixtures can easily be located in MDUs and businesspremises as well.

Configuration information can also include operational data such as anIP address, routing information, and the like, to name but a fewexamples. Configuration information can further include instructions tomodify one or more security settings of demarcation device 108. Merelyby way of example, in certain embodiments, demarcation device 108 caninclude a computer virus scanner, and configuration information caninclude updated virus definitions and/or heuristics. Likewise,demarcation device 108 often will be configured with access controls(for instance, to prevent unauthorized access through demarcation device108 by third parties, as described elsewhere in this document), andconfiguration information can include instructions on how to deal withparticular third party attempts to access demarcation device 108 orinternal transport medium 124. Those skilled in the art will recognizeas well that some security settings may specify the level of access thecustomer has to the functions of demarcation device 108, for instance toprevent unauthorized use of certain telecommunication services, and thatthese settings also may be modified by received configurationinformation.

Based on the disclosure herein, those skilled in the art will recognizethat a wide variety of configuration information can be transmitted todemarcation device 108, including those examples discussed above.Moreover, some types of configuration information may be sentperiodically to demarcation device 108 to ensure that the configurationof demarcation device is current. Those skilled in the art will alsorecognize that configuration information can, in a sense, be considereda subset of the broader category of telecommunication information.

Turning now to FIG. 1B, system 100′ is illustrative of certainembodiments, which can provide multiple demarcation devices 108A, 108Bat customer premises 116. As noted above, demarcation device 108A can bein communication with CPE 120A through internal transport medium 124A,and demarcation device 108B likewise can be in communication with CPE120B through internal transport medium 124B. Demarcation device 108B cancommunicate with distribution point 104 through external transportmedium 112B which, as illustrated by FIG. 1B, can simply be spliced intoexternal transport medium 112A (for example, using one or more activeand/or passive splitting devices, which could be optical, as in a fiberenvironment, for example, or electrical). If necessary, demarcationdevices 108 and/or distribution point 104 can include control logic toprevent unauthorized access by demarcation device 108A totelecommunication information sent to (or received from) demarcationdevice 108B, and vice-versa. In other embodiments, external transportmedium 112B could run directly from demarcation device 108B todistribution point 104, or external transport medium 112B can beomitted, and demarcation device 108B can be coupled to demarcationdevice 108A, which can provide connectivity between demarcation device108B and distribution point 104 through external transport medium 112A.

System 100′ can be used in a variety of implementations. For instance,if customer premises 116 is a multiple-dwelling unit (“MDU”) or acommercial building, separate demarcation devices can be provided foreach separate resident, family and/or tenant (or, alternatively, asingle demarcation device, perhaps with more interfaces, can servicemultiple dwelling or business units). In such implementations,especially when external transport medium 112B does not directly coupledemarcation device 108B to distribution point 104, demarcation devices108A, 108B can include security functionality, for example to preventtelecommunication signals intended for CPE 120A from reaching CPE 120Band vice-versa. In some embodiments, demarcation devices can provide avariety of such security, encryption and authentication functions.

As described above, in certain embodiments, multiple demarcation devices108A, 108B can be daisy-chained together (using any of thetelecommunication media discussed herein). This could allow atelecommunication service provider to provide service to additionalcustomers without requiring any additional external transport media(e.g., 112B). Similarly, demarcation devices at multiple premises can becoupled together (using wired or wireless transport media), such that ifthe external transport medium coupled to one of the demarcation devicesfails, that device can maintain connectivity to the distribution pointthrough its connection to another demarcation device. A demarcationdevice in accordance with specific embodiments thus may have aninterface for securely connecting to one or more additional demarcationdevices (thus, perhaps, forming a mesh network of one or moredemarcation devices and/or distribution points), that would allow aparticular demarcation device to serve as a conduit between anotherinterface device and a distribution point, without allowing anyunauthorized reception of telecommunication information intended for theconnected interface device. This secure interface can be included, forinstance, in a portion of the demarcation device that is inaccessible tocustomers, as illustrated in FIG. 2A and described below.

In other embodiments, a single customer premises might have connectionsto a plurality of telecommunication service providers. For example,turning now to FIG. 1C, system 100″ includes a distribution point 104Acoupled to demarcation device 108A and also includes a seconddistribution point 104B coupled to demarcation device 108B via externaltransport medium 112B. Merely by way of example, distribution point 104Bcould, for example, be associated with a cable television provider,while distribution point 104A could be associated with a telephonecompany. Thus, CPE 120A could be a telephone, and CPE 120B could be atelevision. (Of course, it should be noted that both telephone and videosignals, as well as other forms of telecommunication information, can beprovided through a single distribution point as well.) Further, asillustrated by example system 100″, multiple CPE 120A, 120C can becoupled to a single demarcation device 108 (either through two internaltransport media 124A, 124C as illustrated by FIG. 1C, or through acommon internal transport medium, as discussed below). As describedabove, each demarcation device 108A, 108B, can receive configurationinformation from a control point 128A, 128B respectively.

In an alternative embodiment, such as, for example system 100″illustrated on FIG. 1D, a single demarcation device 108 can provideconnectivity to a plurality of distribution points (e.g., 104A, 104B),as well to a plurality of CPE 120A, 120B, 120C. In such an embodiment,demarcation device 108 could include attachments for multiple internaltransport media 124A, 124B,124C and multiple external transport media112A, 112B. Moreover, as illustrated by FIG. 1D, each distribution point104A,104B can be associated with a different control point 128A, 128B,respectively. In alternative embodiments, a single control point couldprovide configuration information to demarcation device 108 with respectto both distribution points 104A, 104B.

Turning now to FIG. 1E, another exemplary system 100″″ is presented inaccordance with certain embodiments of the invention. In exemplarysystem 100″″, demarcation device 108 can be in communication withdistribution point 104. In turn, distribution point 104 (perhapsoperated by a telecommunication service provider) can be incommunication with one or more telecommunication information providers130A, 130B. Each telecommunication information provider 130A, 130B canbe the source or recipient of one or more telecommunication informationsets (each of which can be associated with a particulartelecommunication service), each of which can be transmitted to (orreceived from) distribution point 104. Distribution point 104 can alsotransmit these information sets to (or received them from) demarcationdevice 108, via external transport medium 112. As discussed below,demarcation device 108 can be capable of processing a plurality of suchinformation sets in a variety of ways.

In certain embodiments, each telecommunication information provider130A, 130B can have an individual control point 128B,128C. In some suchembodiments, control points 128B, 128C can be in communication withdemarcation device 108 via distribution point 104, or, alternatively,could have a separate means of communication with demarcation device 108(e.g., via a modem and telephone line). Thus, in some embodiments,demarcation device 108 can receive configuration information from eachcontrol point 128B, 128C. As discussed above, configuration informationcan direct the behavior of demarcation device 108, in particular withrespect to how to handle telecommunication information received from, orsent to, the associated telecommunication information provider.

In some embodiments, demarcation device 108 can be configured to acceptconfiguration information related only to the telecommunicationinformation and/or services provided by the telecommunicationinformation provider sending the configuration information. In this way,demarcation device can be protected against inadvertent (or malicious)misconfiguration, which could interrupt a telecommunication serviceprovided by another telecommunication information provider. Likewise,demarcation device 108 could be configured to automatically requestupdated configuration information from control point 108A associatedwith distribution point 104 in the case of misconfiguration, and controlpoint 108A could maintain a master set of configuration information tobe able to accommodate such a request.

In other embodiments, telecommunication information providers 130A, 130Bmay not have an associated control point. In such embodiments,telecommunication information providers 130A, 130B can sendconfiguration information to control point 128A (perhaps viadistribution point 104A), and control point 128A can relay thatconfiguration information to demarcation device 108 (again, perhapsthrough distribution point 104). In this way the telecommunicationservice provider can control which configuration information istransmitted to demarcation device 108.

In certain embodiments, demarcation device 108 can submit a request forconfiguration information to one or more control points 128A, 128B,128C, perhaps via distribution point 104. Such a request might be made,if, for instance, the customer would like to watch a pay per view movie.The appropriate control point (e.g., 128B) could then provide the properconfiguration information to demarcation device as described above, andthe configuration information could enable demarcation device totransmit the movie to customer premises 116.

As exemplified by system 132 on FIG. 1F, embodiments of the inventionenable a single demarcation device 108 to serve multiple CPE 134A-F,each of which can be a different appliance, at a single customerpremises 136. For instance, CPE134A can be a computer with an Ethernetinterface, CPE 134B can be a telephone, CPE 134C can be a video gamesystem, CPE 134D can be a set-top box attached to a television, CPE 134Ecan be a computer with an HPNA interface, and CPE134F can be a laptopcomputer equipped with a wireless network card.

Also as illustrated by system 132, demarcation device 108 can supportmultiple network topologies. For instance, demarcation device 132 canserve as a hub for a point-to-point network topology, with multiplepoint-to-point connections to CPE 134A, 134B via internal transportmedia 138A, 138B, respectively. In addition, demarcation device 132 cansupport a bus topology, as illustrated by internal transport medium 140,which can connect demarcation device 132 to CPE 134C,134D, 134E.Demarcation device 108 can also be equipped with a wireless transmitter142 for communication with wireless-capable CPE 134F. In this way,demarcation device 108 can support a wide variety of networking media incustomer premises 136, including the existing telephone, satellite,cable, and network wiring. For instance, the existing telephone wiringin most homes is arranged in a bus topology, as is most coaxial cable(for instance RG6 or RG59) installed by cable television providers,although each may, in some implementations, be wired using a startopology. In contrast, many homes also have 10Base-T Ethernet networks,which sometimes require a central hub. As used herein, the term“10Base-T” can be understood to include newer implementations ofEthernet over unshielded twisted pair wiring, including, for instance,100 megabit Ethernet (100Base-T, 100VG-AnyLAN, etc.) and gigabitEthernet (1000Base-T) standards. Demarcation device 108 can supportthese and other network topologies, serving as the hub in a 10Base-Tnetwork if necessary.

FIG. 1G illustrates another exemplary system 150 for using a demarcationdevice 152 in an xDSL implementation, according to certain embodimentsof the invention. In some embodiments, distribution point 154 cancomprise a host digital terminal 156 coupled by transport medium 158 toDSLAM 160. (As noted above, however, in other embodiments, DSLAM 160 orother equipment can be considered the distribution point.) Host digitalterminal 156 can be coupled to any of a variety of data sources and/orrecipients, either directly, or indirectly (e.g., through the provider'snetwork and/or the Internet). In the illustrated embodiment, transportmedium can be a Synchronous Optical NETwork (“SONET”) link (e.g., OC-3,OC-12, etc.), although those skilled in the art will recognize thatother suitable transport media may be substituted.

In accordance with some embodiments, distribution point 154 alsocomprises a central office shelf 162 in communication with the PSTN, aswell with an asynchronous transfer mode (“ATM”) network 166, either ofwhich can provide connectivity to any of the variety of data sourcesand/or recipients discussed above. In certain embodiments, shelf 162 is,in turn, coupled to fiber distribution panel 168, which is connected bytransport medium 170 to a digital loop carrier remote terminationcabinet 172. Remote termination cabinet 172 can also be coupled to DSLAM160 by transport medium 174, which may be routed through serving areainterface 176. In effect, transport medium 174 can carry one or morePOTS information sets, and transport medium 158 can carry one or morenon-POTS (in this case xDSL) information sets.

As illustrated, these two information sets can be combined at DSLAM 160,which is in communication with serving area interface 176 throughtransport medium 178. Serving area interface 176 can coupled todemarcation device 152 by transport medium 180, and in the illustratedembodiment, demarcation device 152 is fixedly attached to an exteriorwall at customer premises 182. Demarcation device can then be coupledvia one or more internal transport media 184A-I to a variety of CPE,including without limitation a television set 186, a video phone 188, anIP-compatible set-top box 190, an analog (POTS) telephone 192, anIP-compatible phone 194, and a personal computer 196. In this way, ademarcation device can be used to provide a plurality oftelecommunication services to a customer premises.

As alluded to above, a NID is one type of demarcation device that canserve as the interface between an external transport medium and aninternal transport medium. Generally, a NID can incorporate all of thefunctionality of the demarcation devices discussed above. In addition,in accordance with some embodiments, a network interface device also canoffer enhanced functionality in the provision of telecommunicationservices, as described below.

Turning now to FIG. 2A, one exemplary embodiment of a NID 200 isillustrated. In the illustrated embodiment, NID 200 comprises aclamshell design, with a lid portion 204 and a body portion 208connected by hinges 212A, 212B. Turning now to FIG. 2B, it can be seenthat body portion comprises a network area 216 and a customer area 220.Generally, network area 216 is adapted to receive a cover and isdesigned generally to be accessible only to personnel authorized by thetelecommunication service provider. In contrast, when NID 200 is open,the customer can access customer area 220 to add or remove components asdesired. In this and other ways, NID serves to isolate thetelecommunication service provider's network from the customer'snetwork, as described above. As discussed below, lid portion, 204 cancontain a processing system (not shown in FIG. 2B)

Returning to FIG. 2A, NID 200 can include a first interface 228 forcommunicating with the provider's external transport medium. Thoseskilled in the art will recognize that, in some embodiments, asdescribed above, the external transport medium can be the twisted-paircopper “local loop” running from the customer's premises to thetelecommunication service provider's local office, and interface 228 canallow for the attachment of the local loop to NID 200. As discussedabove, in other embodiments, the external transport medium can be any ofa variety of other media, including satellite transmissions, wirelesstransmissions, coaxial cable. In fact, in certain embodiments, theexternal transport medium can comprise multiple transport media (of thesame or different types), for which NID 200 could include multipleinterfaces. In some such embodiments, NID 200 can function to logicallycouple or bond a plurality of external transport media to one another,seamlessly increasing the bandwidth available to the customer premises.For instance, a customer premises might have a satellite link to onetelecommunication service provider and an ADSL link to another provider,and NID 200 could combine or multiplex these two links to provide anapparent single, higher-bandwidth to the customer premises. Similarly,those skilled in the art will recognize that, in certain of theseembodiments, a particular external transport medium (for instance, asatellite link) may be more well-suited to one way transmission oftelecommunication information; in such cases, NID 200 could use a secondexternal transport medium (for instance, an ADSL link) to allowtransmission in the other direction.

Interface 228 can be coupled to a discrimination device 232, which canbe operative to separate information sets received on interface 228(and, conversely, aggregate information sets for transmission oninterface 228). Merely by way of example, in particular embodiments,discrimination device 232 can separate POTS information from othertelecommunication information and/or isolate signals on the internaltransport medium from the external transport medium (and vice-versa). Insome embodiments, for instance xDSL implementations, discriminationdevice 232 can comprise one or more filters. Such filters can include(but are not limited to) high-pass, low-pass and/or band pass filters.For instance, in an xDSL implementation, discrimination device 232 mightinclude a high-pass and/or low-pass filter for separating high-frequency(e.g., data) from low frequency (e.g., POTS) information. In otherembodiments, discrimination device 232 can comprise many other types offilters, including both digital and analog filters. Demarcation device232 can be operable to separate information sets through a variety ofcriteria, including for example, by frequency, by destination device,information type, frequency. Further, in certain embodiments,information sets can be multiplexed (for instance, using varioustime-division multiplexing or wave-division multiplexing schemes knownin the art) for transmission over an external transport medium, anddiscrimination device 232 can comprise a de-multiplexer capable ofseparating multiplexed signals and, optionally, routing each signal tothe appropriate destination.

In the illustrated embodiment, discrimination device 232 is incommunication with a second interface 236, which can interface with thetelephone wires at the customer premises to provide traditional analogtelephone service. In some embodiments, an aggregator 240 can besituated between discrimination device 232 and interface 236 to allowadditional (perhaps non-POTS) information sets to be sent and receivedthrough interface 236 simultaneously with the POTS information. This caninclude, for example, aggregating information sets for transmission ofan HPNA (or HPNA+) signal over an internal transport medium.

The discrimination device can also be coupled to a processing system244, which in the illustrated embodiment is located in the lid portion204, and all non-POTS information sets can be routed to processingsystem 244 for additional processing. Processing system 244 is describedin detail below, but can, in general, comprise one or microprocessors,including digital signal processor (“DSP”) chips, and/or memory devices,including both volatile and nonvolatile memories, as well as a varietyof read-only memory devices known in the art, such as programmable readonly memory (“PROM”) devices and erasable programmable read only memory(“EPROM”) devices (a term which should be interpreted to includeelectrically erasable programmable (“EEPROM”) devices, in addition toother EPROM devices) and storage devices (including hard disk drives,optical drives and other media) In fact, processing system 244 cancomprise the equivalent of one or more personal computers, running anyof a variety of operating systems, including variants of Microsoft'sWindows™ operating system, as well as various flavors of the UNIX™operating system, including open source implementations such as theseveral Linux™ and OpenBSD™ operating systems.

Telecommunication information (or information sets) can be processed byprocessing system 244 in a variety of ways, including, for example,routing a given information set to a particular interface, transforminginformation (for example, encoding/decoding information and convertingbetween different transport protocols), storing information, filteringinformation, and any of the other functions described herein withrespect to processing systems. In certain embodiments, processing system244 can serve as the termination point for an external transport medium;for instance processing system 244 can incorporate the functionality ofan xDSL modem. In other embodiments, processing system 244 can serve toidentify quality of service requirements (for instance, latencyrequirements for voice transmissions and bandwidth requirements forstreaming media transmissions, to name a few) and enforce thoserequirements, ensuring that sufficient bandwidth is provided to aparticular device, network segment or application to maintain thequality of service required.

In certain embodiments, for instance, as described above with respect toFIG. 1D, a NID may comprise another interface in communication with asecond distribution point 104B, perhaps operated by a differenttelecommunication service provider, through an additional externaltransport medium 112A. In such a case, the additional external interfacecould be coupled to discrimination device 232, or it could be coupled toanother discrimination device, which could also be in communication withprocessing system 244, interface 236 and/or aggregator 240. Thus,certain embodiments allow a single NID to serve as a communicationgateway between the customer premises and multiple telecommunicationservice providers, including combining or multiplexing multiple externaltransport media (each of which may be in communication with a differenttelecommunication service provider and/or telecommunication informationprovider) as discussed above.

Returning to FIG. 2A, processing system 244 can be in communication withaggregator 240, which, as discussed above, can aggregate non-POTSinformation sets received from processing system 244 and POTSinformation sets received directly from discrimination device 232 forconsolidated transmission via interface 236, among other functions. Ineffect, discrimination device 232 and aggregator 240 (perhaps inconjunction with processing system 244) can function to separatetelecommunication information received on interface 228 into a set ofPOTS telecommunication information and a set of non-POTStelecommunication (wherein POTS information can be understood to beordinary telephone signals, and non-POTS information can be understoodto include all other telecommunication information), route the non-POTSinformation via transport medium 248 to processing system 244 forprocessing, and route the POTS information to interface 236 fortransmission to the internal transport medium. In certain embodiments,one or more sets of non-POTS information can be routed to interface 236using transport medium 252 for transmission through interface 236,perhaps in combination with one or more sets of POTS information.

Of course, discrimination device 232 and aggregator 240 can perform thesame function in reverse (i.e., to separate and recombine different setsof telecommunication information received on interface 236 from thecustomer's premises). Thus, in some embodiments, both discriminationdevice 232 and aggregator 240 each can perform a combined discriminationdevice-aggregator function, depending on the direction of informationflow. In fact, while termed “discrimination device” and “aggregator” forease of description, those two devices can actually be identical, andfurther, their functionality can, in some embodiments, be incorporatedinto a single device, which could be coupled to interface 228, interface236, and processing system 244 and could route information sets amongany of those components as necessary. Moreover, as described below, thefunctionality of discrimination device 232 and/or aggregator 240 can beincorporated into processing system 244; likewise, discrimination device232 can incorporate interface 228 and/or aggregator 240 can incorporateinterface 236, such that discrimination device/and or aggregatorcomprise the necessary components to be coupled directly to the externaland internal transport media, respectively.

Discrimination device 232 and/or aggregator can also serve anotherfunction in certain embodiments: Since the external transport medium iscoupled to first interface 228 and the internal transport medium can becoupled to, inter alia, second interface 236, the discrimination deviceand/or aggregator can serve as an isolation device for intermediatingbetween the two media, such that when a topological change occurs in oneof the media, only the NID interface need be changed, and the othertransport medium is not affected. In some such embodiments,discrimination device 232 and/or aggregator 240 can serve tointermediate (including protocol translation and the like) betweeninterfaces 232, 240, allowing either the internal or the externaltransport medium to be upgraded or changed without impacting the othertransport medium. Of course, in certain embodiments, this isolationfunction also could be performed by processing system. In yet otherembodiments, the isolation device might comprise a separate piece ofhardware in communication with discrimination device 232, aggregator 240and/or processing system 244.

In certain embodiments, NID 200 can have one or more additionalinterfaces 256, 260 in communication with processing system 244 viatransport media 264, 268, respectively. Additional interfaces 256, 260can be adapted to communicate with any of a variety of internaltransport media to send/receive telecommunication information to/fromthe customer premises. For instance, interface 256 can be a coaxialinterface for connection to RG6 and/or RG59 cable, and interface 260 canbe an RJ45 and/or RJ11 interface for connection to unshielded twistedpair cable (which can, for instance, form a 10Base-T Ethernet network).

In certain embodiments, NID 200 can comprise a line driver (not shown onFIG. 2A), coupled to processing system 244 and aggregator 240. The linedriver can function to allow conversion between various network formatsand media, allowing a variety of different media types (e.g., twistedpair and/or coaxial cable, in accordance with the HPNA and HPNA+standards, as well, perhaps, as the customer premises' A/C wiring, inaccordance, for example, with the HomePlug™ standard) to transportcombined POTS and non-POTS information sets. If necessary, one or moredifferent line drivers can be used to accommodate a variety of transportmedia.

The ability of NID 200 to support multiple interfaces of different typesallows great flexibility in routing telecommunication informationthroughout the customer premises. Merely by way of example, if interface228 receives telecommunication information that includesdigitally-encoded video signals (e.g., MPEG-2 data), the information setthat includes the encoded video signals can be routed by discriminationdevice 232 to processing system 244, which can decode the signals intoan RF-modulated NTSC, HDTV and/or PAL format and transmit the signalsvia transport medium 264 to coaxial interface 256, where it can betransmitted via coaxial cable to one or more televisions at the customerpremises. Alternatively, if the customer has a digital set-top boxlocated at the television, the encoded signals can be routed byprocessing system 244 (perhaps through the appropriate line driver) toaggregator 240, where the signals can be transferred through interface236 to the set-top box for decoding.

Similarly, in some embodiments, NID 200 might receive IP data (perhapscombined with other types of telecommunication information) on interface228. The information set comprising the IP data can be routed bydiscrimination device 232 via medium 248 to processing system 244, whereit can be processed, and depending on the embodiment, routed viatransport medium 252 to the customer's existing telephone wiring(perhaps using interface 236, optionally in conjunction with aggregator240 and/or one or more line drivers), routed to a 10Base-T network(perhaps transport medium 268 and interface 260), routed to a coaxialcable (e.g., using transport medium 264 and interface 256), or routedvia a wireless interface (not shown in FIG. 2A). Alternatively, the IPdata can be routed to any combination of these interfaces, and any ofthese interfaces could also receive IP or other telecommunicationinformation from a CPE at the customer premises, for routing toprocessing system 244. In this way, NID 200 can allow virtuallyunlimited connectivity options for each CPE at the customer premises.Adding to the flexibility of NID 200, processing system 244 can includethe necessary components to serve, for instance, as a cable, wireless,or xDSL modem, as well as components necessary to serve as an Ethernethub, switch, router or gateway, the functions of each of which arefamiliar to those skilled in the art.

In certain embodiments, NID 200 can comprise a power supply 272 forproviding electrical power to the components in NID 200. Power supply272 can be powered through electrical current carried on the externaltransport medium and received on interface 228. Alternatively, powersupply can receive electrical current from a coaxial interface (e.g.,256), or through a dedicated transformer plugged into an A/C outlet atcustomer premises, e.g., through 12V connection 276. Processing system244 can be powered by a connection 280 to power supply 272, or throughone or more separate power sources, including perhaps the A/C power ofthe customer premises. In some embodiments, processing system 244 mighthave its own power supply.

As mentioned above, processing system 244 can comprise a plurality ofprocessing devices, and each processing device can comprise multiplecomponents, including microprocessors, memory devices, storage devicesand the like. Merely by way of example, FIG. 3 provides a detailedillustration of exemplary processing system 244, which comprisesmultiple processing devices 304, 308, 312. In accordance with theexemplified embodiment, transport medium 248 links processing system 244with an external transport medium (perhaps via a discrimination deviceand/or interface, as described above).

Transport medium 248 can be coupled to microserver 304, such that anyinformation received by processing system 244 via transport medium 248is first processed by microserver 304. Microserver can, in someembodiments, be the equivalent of a server computer, complete withmemory devices, storage devices, and the like, each of which is known inthe art and none of which is illustrated on FIG. 3. In certainembodiments, microserver 304 serves as the controller for the NID,overseeing the NID's configuration and monitoring performance; in somesuch embodiments, the controller functions can be accessed using a webbrowser. Depending on the embodiment, microserver 304 can be capable ofperforming a wide variety of additional functions, including functionsrelated to administering any local area network comprised by theinternal transport medium. For instance, microserver 304 can function asan xDSL modem in certain embodiments, allowing a home network attachedto the NID to transmit and receive data via an xDSL connection to atelecommunication service provider. Microserver 304 can, in some cases,also function as a hub, bridge, switch or router.

Further examples of functions of microserver 304 in various embodimentsinclude a dynamic host configuration protocol (“DHCP”) server, which, asthose skilled in the art will appreciate, allows for flexibleconfiguration of an IP network using any internal transport mediumattached to the NID, and a network address translation (“NAT”) server,which provides some security against unauthorized use of the customer'snetwork. Microserver 304 can also function as a HyperText TransportProtocol (“HTTP”) server, which, among other benefits, can allowconfiguration of the NID through a convenient web interface, as well asa bridge, switch or router, which can be capable of supporting advancedrouting techniques, such as MPLS and EFM, to name a few. Microserver 304can function further to manage quality of service requirements, asdescribed above.

In addition to these functions, microserver 304 can be configured toroute information sets received via transport medium 248, according tothe type of telecommunication information in the set (e.g., encodedvideo, IP data, etc.) as well as any addressing information associatedwith either the set or the information it comprises (e.g., a specifieddestination port or network address for a particular subset oftelecommunication information). In this way, microserver 304 can serve aswitching function somewhat similar to that described with respect todiscrimination device 232 described in relation to FIG. 2A. Forinstance, if IP data is received by microserver 304, such data can berouted to an Ethernet connection, to the existing telephone wiring(e.g., in an HPNA implementation), or to any other appropriate medium(perhaps via an appropriate line driver). In fact, in certainembodiments, processing system 244 (and in particular microserver 304)can incorporate the functionality of discrimination device 232 and/oraggregator 240, rendering those components optional.

In addition to microserver 304, processing system 244 can include othercomponents, including, for instance, application server 308 and set-topbox 312, which, in the illustrated embodiment, are coupled tomicroserver 304. Application server 308 can comprise the equivalent of acomputer, as described above, and thus can comprise one or more storagedevices, such as hard disk drive 320, as well as memory devices,microprocessors and the like, to enable it to store and processtelecommunication information and other data. In certain embodiments,application server 308 can perform tasks with processing, memory and/orstorage requirements that render microserver 304 unsuitable, including awide variety of consumer applications. For instance, application server308 can act as a digital recorder for storing video (perhaps as avideo-on-demand server or a personal video recorder), a file and/orapplication server for a home network attached to the NID, a Voice overIP (“VoIP”) server, caller identification server, or voice gateway for atelephone system attached to the NID. Application server 308 can alsofunction as a home security server, allowing the control of variousfeatures and configuration options for a home security system.

Set-top box 312, which, in some embodiments, can be coupled tomicroserver 304 as illustrated on FIG. 3, can provide traditionalset-top box functionality (e.g., decoding of television signals,frequency switching, etc.), as well as provide enhanced features,including, for example, the provision of picture-in-picture signals fornon picture-in-picture televisions, the provision of video on demand,personal video recorder features, and many other such features.

Processing system 244 can have multiple means of input and output.Merely by way of example, microserver 304 can communicate with one ormore external transport media (perhaps, as discussed above, viaintermediary devices) using one or more transport media (e.g., 248).Processing system 244 (and, specifically, microserver 304) also cancommunicate with one or more internal transport media (for examplecategory 5, 5e and/or 6 unshielded twisted pair wire 268, RG6 and/orRG59 coaxial cable 264, and category 3 unshielded twisted pair copper(telephone) wire 252), again possibly via intermediary devices, asdiscussed with reference to FIG. 2A. Notably, some embodiments ofprocessing system 244 can include interfaces for multiple transportmedia of a particular type, for instance, if processing system (and, inparticular, microserver 304) serves as a networking hub, switch orrouter. Processing system 244 can also have infra-red andradio-frequency receivers and/or transmitters, for instance to allow useof a remote control device, as well as wireless transceivers, forinstance to allow wireless (e.g., IEEE 802.11) networking.

As illustrated on FIG. 3, in some embodiments, microserver 304 managesthe connections between application server 308, set-top box 312 andtransport media 248, 252, 264, 268, routing data as necessary. In otherembodiments, each processor 304, 308, 312 can have independentconnections to one or more transport media.

It should be recognized that the devices within processing system 244are described for illustrative purposes only. The functionalitydescribed above with respect to microserver 304, application server 308and set-top box 312, respectively, each could be incorporated into asingle device within processing system 244. Alternatively, theirfunctions described herein could be divided among any number ofprocessors and devices within processing system 244. Thus, the divisionof functions among devices within processing system 244 is discretionaryand should not be considered to limit the scope of the invention.

In accordance with some embodiments, the NID might comprise multipleenclosures, each located in a different location and in communicationwith one another. Merely by way of example, FIG. 4 illustrates analternative embodiment of the invention, including a NID 400 and aseparate processing system 404. In the illustrated embodiment, NID 400can include the features described above, except that processing system404 can be located distal to NID 400. In this way, processing system 404can be located in a more secure area (for instance, inside the customerpremises), while NID 400 can be located conveniently at the exterior ofthe customer premises, where it can be accessed easily by servicepersonnel. (Of course, it should be noted that a NID can also behardened, so that it can be securely located in its entirety on theexterior of the customer premises, as, for instance, in the embodimentsdiscussed above.) In some embodiments, processing system 404 can be incommunication with NID 400 via similar transport media 412, 416, 420,424 to those discussed with respect to FIG. 3 (248, 252, 264, 268,respectively) and can include all of the same functionality of theembodiments discussed above. As illustrated in FIG. 4, processing system404 generally will draw power from its own source 428, although it couldalso be powered by NID 400, either via one of the transport media 412,416, 420, 424 or through a separate power connection 432.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary system 500 in which a NID 504 inaccordance with certain embodiments of the invention is interconnectedvia several internal transport media to a wide variety of CPE, providingmany different telecommunication services. NID 504 can be incommunication with a telecommunication service provider's network viaexternal transport medium 506, which can be any of the media describedabove; in this exemplary embodiment, it is a twisted pair copper “localloop,” capable of carrying one or more POTS data sets and one or morexDSL information sets. NID 504 can have a processing system 508 incommunication with discrimination device 512, which can be a combinedhigh pass/low pass filter. As mentioned above, discrimination device 512can function to separate POTS information sets from non-POTS informationsets, with the former routed to aggregator 516, which can serve as aninterface to a category 3 twisted pair internal transport medium 520.Processing system 508 can also be in communication with aggregator 516,so that non-POTS information sets may be transmitted using transportmedium 520 as well.

Attached to internal transport medium 520 (which, in the illustratedembodiment can support the HPNA standard) can be a normal POTS telephone524, along with an integrated access device, which, among other things,can provide POTS service via IP data transmitted via the HPNA network oninternal transport medium 520. In the illustrated embodiment, threeadditional POTS telephones 532A, 532B, 532C are coupled to theintegrated access device, although those skilled in the art willappreciate that certain embodiments will support different numbers andtypes of devices attached to the integrated access device. Also attachedto transport medium 520 is a VoIP telephone 536, as well as a personalcomputer 540, which can use system 500 to access the Internet, amongother things.

Further embodiments can include an IP-compatible utility meter 544,which can allow a utility provider such as a city water department orelectrical utility to monitor and bill utility usage over the Internetor the telecommunication service provider's network, and/or anIP-compatible home security system 548, which can allow the customer tomonitor and control home security functions remotely. Via an Internetconnection to NID 504, a customer on vacation could administer homesecurity system 548, view images from security cameras, check the statusof all sensors, and even turn various lights in the house on and off.

Internal transport medium 520 can also be coupled to an IP-compatibleset-top box 552, which may have a television 556 attached. In addition,certain embodiments allow for a video phone 560 to be included in system500 and attached to medium 520. Processing system 504 can also support adigital-to-analog converter 564 (perhaps with a ring generator), toallow direct connection of a POTS phone 568 to the NID, perhaps fortesting purposes or for mandated life-line service.

As mentioned above, NID 504 can support a variety of other interfacesand attachments as well. For example, in certain embodiments, NID 504(and more precisely processing system 508) can comprise one or morefiber optic interfaces, including for example, IEEE 1394 interface 572,as well a variety of standard Ethernet connections, including forinstance a category 5 10Base-T interface 576 that can be used, forexample, to attach one or more personal computers (e.g., 580) to NID504, as well as a wireless interface 578. Processing system 508 can alsoinclude a coaxial (RG6 and/or RG59) interface, either through use of abalun 588 (to convert, for example, from twisted pair to coaxial cable)or through a direct coaxial connection to processing system 508.

Like the other interfaces, coaxial interface 584 can support a widevariety of CPE and associated services, including transmission of both avideo (e.g., HDTV, NTSC or PAL) information set and a data (e.g., IPdata) information set, simultaneously. Supported devices can include anIP residential gateway, which can provide IP to HDTV/NTSC/PAL conversionfor video display on a television 598, as well as direct IPconnectivity, for example, to provide Internet access to a personalcomputer 602.

Through coaxial interface 584, NID 504 can also communicate with anIP-compatible set-top box, as well as directly with a cable-readytelevision 610, a personal computer 614 (either via a coaxial connectionon the computer or through a balun), a POTS telephone 618 (for instance,through an integrated access device 622), or to any other IP-compatibledevice 626, such as a utility meter, home security system or the like.As discussed above, NID 504 can be programmable and/or addressable, andin some embodiments, NID 504 can include an application programminginterface 630 to facilitate in the programming and/or addressing of NID504.

Notably, different embodiments of the NID can provide several benefits,including simultaneous video, data and voice transmission, whilemaintaining required Quality of Service levels for each particularinformation set. Further, some embodiments of the NID can comprise arouter that is capable of multi-protocol label switching (“MPLS”),which, those skilled in the art will recognize, allows thetelecommunication service provider tremendous flexibility in designingthe architecture of the external transport medium, including options,such as EFM and tag switching schemes (e.g., MPLS), that provideenhanced features and performance across the provider's network. Variousembodiments of the NID also allow for a plurality of virtual privatenetworks to be established through the NID, allowing one or more securedata connections from the customer premises to other locations.

Other embodiments of the present invention provide methods for usingdemarcation devices, and NIDs in particular. One exemplary method 700 inaccordance with certain embodiments is illustrated on FIG. 6. It shouldbe noted that the blocks displayed on FIG. 6 are arranged for ease ofdescription only, and their order and arrangement should not beconsidered to limit the scope of the invention; hence, some of functionsillustrated on FIG. 6 may be performed in an order different than thatillustrated, or they may be omitted entirely.

In block 704, an external transport medium is provided. A wide varietyof external transport media, including any of those discussed above, maybe used without varying from the scope of this embodiment. At block 708,a demarcation device is provided. In a particular embodiment, thedemarcation device can be a NID, as described above. In someembodiments, the demarcation device can be attached to an external wallof the customer premises (block 712), while in other embodiments, thedemarcation device can be located elsewhere, including various locationsat the customer premises (such as proximate to a particular CPE orcoupled to an internal transport medium in an attic, garage, basement,crawl space or the like. In still other embodiments, the demarcationdevice could be co-located with a portion of the external transportmedium, for instance in a digital loop carrier remote terminationcloset, at a DSLAM, or even at the distribution point.

In certain embodiments, a distribution point can receivetelecommunication information from a telecommunication informationprovider or other source of telecommunication information (block 716).As discussed above, the telecommunication information can comprise aplurality of sets of telecommunication information, and eachtelecommunication information set can be associated with a particulartelecommunication service. In many embodiments, the distribution pointcan receive the plurality of telecommunication information sets from aplurality of telecommunication information providers.

At block 720, the telecommunication information can be transmitted tothe demarcation device through the external transport medium. Generally,the telecommunication information can be transmitted from thedistribution point, although, as discussed above, the distribution pointneed be neither the ultimate source nor the ultimate destination of thetelecommunication information. At block 724, the distribution point (orother facility) can receive a request, either for configurationinformation as discussed above, or for a particular telecommunicationinformation set, and, in certain embodiments, the distribution point canforward that request to the appropriate telecommunication informationprovider (block 728). At block 732, the distribution point can receiveinformation (e.g., telecommunication information, perhaps includingconfiguration information) from the telecommunication informationprovider that is responsive to the request, and at block 736, thatresponsive information can be transmitted to the demarcation device,whether generated by the distribution point (and/or an associatedcontrol point) or the telecommunication information provider.

At block 740, the demarcation device optionally can separate anytelecommunication information received from the distribution point(whether or not sent in response to a request from the demarcationdevice) into discrete information sets, according to, inter alia, any ofthe criteria discussed above. Once the information sets have beenseparated, the demarcation device can take the appropriate action foreach. Such actions can include processing the information set (perhapswith a processing system similar to that described above), transmittingthe information set to a particular internal transport medium (see block748 below), consolidating the information with one or more otherinformation sets for combined transmission onto an internal transportmedium, storing the information set (perhaps to a storage device, asdiscussed above), and discarding the information set, among otherthings.

At block 744, the demarcation device optionally can mediate the flow oftelecommunication information between the internal transport medium andthe external transport medium. This can be done in a variety of ways,including filtering the signals and/or frequencies sent from onetransport medium to the other so as to diminish interference on onenetwork by extraneous information, signals, and/or frequenciestransmitted (intentionally or inadvertently) by the other. Mediating theflow of information can also include filtering the information sentthrough the demarcation device, such that particular telecommunicationinformation (and/or information sets) can be treated differently fromother information (and/or information sets). For instance, as discussedabove, a given information set can be processed, routed or storeddifferently than other sets.

At block 728, the telecommunication information (or a subset thereof)can be transmitted to the customer premises by the demarcation device.Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, that while for ease ofdescription, method 700 has been described with respect tounidirectional information flow (from a distribution point to a customerpremises), certain embodiments of the invention easily can accommodateinformation flow in the opposite direction, as well as bi-directionalinformation flow. Thus, information also could be transmitted from aCPE, through the internal transport medium, to the demarcation device.The demarcation device then could separate that telecommunicationinformation into information sets, if necessary, and take any of avariety of actions (including those discussed above) with respect toeach information set, including transmitting the information in theinformation set to the distribution point via the external medium.

Likewise, methods in accordance with certain embodiments of theinvention can support the transmission of telecommunication informationfrom a CPE, through a demarcation device, to a distribution point, and,ultimately to a telecommunication information provider. Further, methodsaccording to other embodiments allow for simultaneous and/or nearsimultaneous two-way transmission of telecommunication.

In conclusion, the present invention provides novel demarcation devices,along with systems and methods for using the same. While detaileddescriptions of one or more embodiments of the invention have been givenabove, various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents will beapparent to those skilled in the art without varying from the spirit ofthe invention. Therefore, the above description should not be taken aslimiting the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An optical network termination system comprising:an optical fiber in communication with an external telecommunicationsinformation network; a processor in communication with the optical fiberand providing for the processing of telecommunications informationconveyed over the optical fiber to or from the externaltelecommunications information network; an electrically conductiveinternal transport medium in communication with the processor, whereinthe electrically conductive internal transport medium provides for thebidirectional conveyance of a first subset of the telecommunicationsinformation from the processor into a premises; and a wireless internaltransport medium comprising a wireless access point in communicationwith the processor, wherein the wireless internal transport mediumprovides for the bidirectional wireless conveyance of a second subset ofthe telecommunication information into the premises and wherein power isprovided to the wireless access point over the electrically conductiveinternal transport medium.
 2. The optical network termination system ofclaim 1 further comprising a power supply in electrical communicationwith the wireless access point over the electrically conductive internaltransport medium, wherein the power supply receives power from an A/Cpower outlet located within the premises.
 3. The optical networktermination system of claim 1 wherein power is provided to the processorand the wireless access point over the electrically conductive internaltransport medium.
 4. The optical network termination system of claim 1wherein the electrically conductive internal transport medium comprisesone of; unshielded twisted pair copper wiring, shielded twisted paircopper wiring, Category 3 cable, Category 5 cable, Category 5e cable,Category 6 cable, Token Ring™ cable and coaxial cable.
 5. The opticalnetwork termination system of claim 1 wherein the processor and wirelessaccess point are housed in a single housing.
 6. The optical networktermination system of claim 1 wherein the single housing is located onthe exterior surface of a premises and wherein the electricallyconductive and wireless internal transport mediums communicate the firstand second subsets of the telecommunications information to deviceslocated within the premises.
 7. The optical network termination systemof claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive internal transport mediumis a Category 3 telephone cable and the first subset oftelecommunications information is conveyed to a device within thepremises.
 8. A network interface device comprising: a housing; aprocessor mounted within the housing, the processor providing for theprocessing of telecommunications information conveyed to or from theprocessor over an optical fiber in communication with an externaltelecommunications information network; an electrically conductiveinternal transport medium interface mounted within the housing, theelectrically conductive internal transport medium interface being incommunication with the processor and further in communication with anelectrically conductive internal transport medium; and a wireless accesspoint mounted within the housing, wherein the wireless access point isin communication with the processor and wherein power is provided to thewireless access point through the electrically conductive internaltransport medium interface.
 9. The network interface device of claim 8wherein the housing comprises a provider compartment and a customercompartment and the processor, electrically conductive internaltransport medium interface and wireless access point are mounted withinthe provider compartment of the housing.
 10. The network interfacedevice of claim 8 wherein power is provided to both of the processor andthe wireless access point through the electrically conductive internaltransport medium interface.
 11. The network interface device of claim 8wherein the electrically conductive internal transport medium incommunication with the electrically conductive internal transport mediuminterface comprises one of unshielded twisted pair copper wiring,shielded twisted pair copper wiring, Category 3 cable, Category 5 cable,Category 5e cable, Category 6 cable, Category 6e cable, Category 7cable, Token Ring™ cable and coaxial cable.
 12. The network interfacedevice of claim 8 wherein the housing is located on the exterior wall ofa premises and wherein the electrically conductive internal transportmedium in communication with the electrically conductive internaltransport medium interface and the wireless access point provide forcommunication with devices located within the premises.
 13. A method ofterminating an optical network comprising: providing an optical fiber incommunication with an external telecommunications information network;conveying telecommunications information over the optical fiber betweenthe external telecommunications information network and a processor incommunication with the optical fiber; conveying a first subset of thetelecommunications information from the processor into a premises overan electrically conductive internal transport medium; wirelesslytransmitting a second subset of the telecommunications information intothe premises from a wireless access point in communication with theprocessor; and powering the wireless access point with electric powertransmitted over the electrically conductive internal transport medium.14. The method of claim 13 further comprising providing a power supplyto power the wireless access point with an electric power transmitterover the electrically conductive internal transport medium, wherein thepower supply receives power from an A/C power outlet located within thepremises.
 15. The method of claim 13 further comprising powering boththe processor and the wireless access point with power transmitted overthe electrically conductive internal transport medium.
 16. The method ofclaim 13 wherein the electrically conductive internal transport mediumcomprises one of unshielded twisted pair copper wiring, shielded twistedpair copper wiring, Category 3 cable, Category 5 cable, Category 5ecable, Category 6 cable, Category 6e cable, Category 7 cable, TokenRing™ cable and coaxial cable.
 17. The method of claim 16 wherein theelectrically conductive internal transport medium is a Category 3telephone cable and the first subset of telecommunications informationis conveyed to a device within the premises.
 18. The method of claim 13further comprising mounting the processor and the wireless access pointin a single housing.
 19. The method of claim 18 further comprisinglocating the housing on an exterior wall of the premises.